


By The Light of the Moon

by EspadaIV



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arrancars, Espada, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Hollows Hooking Up With Humans, Hueco Mundo, Human/Hollow Pregnancy, I Killed Ichigo!, Lemon, Loss of Virginity, Medical Examination, Not Canon Compliant, PWP, Pregnancy, Sex, Universe Alterations, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 00:22:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12900009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspadaIV/pseuds/EspadaIV
Summary: Aizen gives Ulquiorra a task to assimilate Orihime to their side. What he doesn't know is Aizen is playing a game, where Ulquiorra will get burned. Somehow, he has to protect this woman with his life because he got her pregnant. Yes, humans and Arrancars are somewhat similar with anatomy but surely something that was dead couldn't give life. What do you mean he's still viable and it's his?





	By The Light of the Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rojy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rojy/gifts).



> THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. I, EspadaIV, do not own Bleach nor the characters I've used. They belong to their respective owners. Please feel free to comment or leave a review. Kudos are awesome too.
> 
> Please Enjoy!
> 
> This fic was written for a guest commenter, rori as she commented the most on COR and asked me to change so many things that I'd already put down. So, rori, if you read this, thank you and this one is for you. I give you Emospada and his Woman somehow getting pregnant since you wondered about Ulquihime's children.
> 
> I only meant for this to be short but it seems when it comes to Ulquihime, I cannot be brief.

**Ulquiorra I**

 

Ulquiorra tried to keep a passive face as he walked through the halls of Los Noches. That woman. The nerve of her! The gall she had! She had hope.

 

She wouldn't have hope once he was done with her. She'd be broken when she heard the news.

 

Lord Aizen had sent him on a mission. Scout Karakura Town. Report back what was happening. It was easy enough. He'd been gone two days. He would cover all of his bases in this mission.

 

He easily masked his presence. He eavesdropped on conversations with those who had a great deal of spiritual pressure. Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihouin and another adult male with an impressive amount of Reiatsu were inside the shopkeeper's building.

 

His ears picked up on the conversation.

 

"Yamamoto is only detaining Ichigo because he is reckless, Isshin."

 

"Of course, he's going to be reckless! Orihime is his friend! You would do the same for anyone one of your former squad members, Kisuke."

 

"I have done so. I've gone against Yamamoto's orders and look where I ended up. I don't want to see Ichigo stripped of his powers." Ulquiorra heard a man sigh. "I'm not going to open a Gargantua for Uyru, Chad, or you to go through. We have no clue how many Arrancars Aizen has."

 

He returned and crushed his eyeball letting Aizen and the rest of the Espada hear the words that had been spoken.

 

Aizen did not look happy but he thanked the fourth Espada. His lord had dismissed everyone but told Ulquiorra to stay behind. Ulquiorra watched the former Soul Reaper descend from his throne. He stared blankly ahead, awaiting his next set of instructions.

 

"I want you to do everything you can to get Miss Inoue to trust you. This goes way beyond the relationship between captor and prisoner. There is no one coming for her right now. If I've evaluated this Ichigo Kurosaki correctly, then he will come eventually. He will bring others with him.

 

I need her to be completely reliant on you. She needs to develop a connection with you. I want you to take her."

 

Ulquiorra's eyes shifted to Lord Aizen's face. What did he mean by taking her?

 

"Take her, or I can entrust the task to Nnoitora."

 

"No."

 

He felt Aizen's eyes studying him. He didn't mean for that word to come out. He didn't mean to sound so offended or possessive.

 

"Grimmjow, perhaps? I'm sure Szayelaporro could manage if you're not up to the task."

 

"No, my lord," he stated. "I will do as you say."

 

"Very well, Ulquiorra. You may leave now."

 

He left and returned to his quarters to contemplate his new set of demands Aizen pressed upon him. He did not know how to go about getting this human to trust him. He felt nothing and all she cared about were her friends and this heart.

 

The Octava Espada had told him the heart was merely an organ used to circulate blood. Apparently, human bodies were much like the Arrancar bodies, the only difference was the toughness of the Hierro, stamina, physical strength and sometimes intelligence.

 

Ulquiorra's thoughts instantly brought up Wonderweiss. The new Arrancar was unbelievably fast and strong. He was dumb. His mind was that of a small human child. You could distract him with shiny objects and he spent most of his time with Tosen, listening to the man's justice propaganda.

 

How was he going to emulate feelings to get this girl, no—woman to trust him.

 

Being born from nothing and having nothing was something he was familiar with. The flare of emotion when Lord Aizen mentioned the other three Espadas had been worrisome. Those three did not understand the delicate balance of things. Humans were fragile.

 

The Fifth would break her physically and mentally.

 

The Sixth would destroy the woman for minor infractions.

 

The Eighth would abuse her and use her as an experiment.

 

If they were going to lure those Aizen deemed as threats to Hueco Mundo, Orihime Inoue would have to remain intact.

 

He paced the dull black marble floor of his room and thought about what he would do. None of his ideas seemed plausible. None of them had good outcomes. What had Lord Aizen meant when he had ordered Ulquiorra to take her?

 

Leaving his quarters, he decided to ask for another audience with Aizen to clarify what the man had said. He knocked on the throne room door. “Permission to enter, Lord Aizen,” he said.

 

“Come in, Ulquiorra.”

 

“I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lord but I have to ask you to clarify an order for me,” Ulquiorra stated. His words were precise and to the point.

 

“Which order is that, my dear Cuatro Espada?” Aizen asked, resting his face on his hand. He looked amused. “Was it the order to take Orihime Inoue?”

 

He knew instantly once Aizen smirked, what he had meant. Were Arrancars even capable of that? “Yes, sir.”

 

“I mean for you to engage in a physical relationship with her. Feed into her daydream that she has someone here to depend on and can go to for comfort. Do anything you think will be suitable for this situation. _Take_ her.”

 

Ulquiorra bowed and left the throne room once again. He did not even know what to do in that situation. Perhaps, it would be better to pass this task onto another Espada.

 

No, his mind screamed. The voice was loud and the word echoed inside of him. He paused his steps and turned his head from side to side. Had anyone else heard it? Was there anyone around who could hear it?

 

Ulquiorra Cifer was nothing. He came from nothing. His purpose was to serve Lord Aizen without question or fail. With a sigh, he walked towards his quarters. He needed time to think and plan before approaching the human.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Ulquiorra entered her room silently. She was asleep on the couch that Aizen had provided her. Along with a rug, a chair, and a table, there wasn't much in the room. She had access to bathroom facilities and a lonely window to look at the moon.

 

He stared at her.

 

There was something in the back of his mind telling him that he shouldn't do this, that he should refuse this task that Aizen gave him. He looked young but in reality, he was centuries old, while she had barely two decades in the World of the Living. He bent one knee beside the couch. He could see her chest rise and fall slowly. If he focused enough, he could hear her heartbeat.

 

Bah bump.

 

Bah bump.

 

Bahbumpbahbumpbahbump.

 

Gritting his teeth, he placed his hand on her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered opened and she immediately jerked away from his hand and sat up, screaming as she scrambled away from him.

 

“Woman, do not make a fuss,” he stated after standing up.

 

“I-I-I—What are you doing in here?” she stammered.

 

Sighing, Ulquiorra turned his eyes down to her. “You are my charge, I am allowed to enter your room anytime I'd like. Come with me. You are moving to new quarters.”

 

The female human stared back at him with wide eyes, full of confusion as his arm swept out towards the open door. She stood, moving toward the door. He noticed she was being careful to avoid him. He wondered if he should have discussed his plan with Lord Aizen. The man had said to do anything to gain her trust.

 

Plan A including her moving to his suite of rooms. He had a bedroom, a sitting room, and a bath. He had a balcony. The only thing he did not have was a rug. He had told Aizen that it was unnecessary.

 

Plan B included wooing her. How he was going to do that, he did not know. The most emotion he'd felt in his entire life was the comfort of the void when his mask was ripped off by that crystalline tree.

 

Plan C included the physical part of this farce. He reminded himself to talk to the Eighth Espada about human bodies.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

He heard her gasp as they walked up to a door that had a number four engraved on it. The door was impressive but it no longer held Ulquiorra's interest. He'd been roaming the halls of Los Noches a long time and it seemed mediocre at best.

 

Turning towards the human, he said, “Most Espada have palaces to house their hobbies or Fraccion, sometimes both. I, the Cuatro Espada, have neither. I do not have a palace. I have a suite of rooms, in the fourth tower that I use while in Hueco Mundo.”

 

“What are Fraccion?”

 

“Subordinates. Fraccion are non-Espadas; Numeros Arrancars.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Ulquiorra stood there for a moment with his hands in the pockets of his hakama before placing one on the door which opened. He motioned for her to enter. “The door will only open for me on this side. As you can see, there is nothing which you can grip to open it. However, when you are inside the room, you can open the door. I must caution you to stay inside these rooms at all times if I am not in Hueco Mundo.”

 

“Are you going to be leaving soon?” Orihime asked, staring at the floor.

 

“No, I've just returned and do not expect to be leaving anytime in the near future. Familiarize yourself with my spiritual pressure, if you cannot sense it, do not leave this room,” he stated. “Go in, now.”

 

Orihime scurried past him. He could see her face open with wonder as she looked around the sitting room. Ulquiorra stepped into the room after her and pulled the door shut.

 

“There are so many books,” she breathed.

 

His green eyes gave her a side glance as if to question the meaning of her words. The bland stone walls of the sitting room were lined with bookshelves that held numerous books. It also held a nice armchair and a table with two chairs. He would acquire another chair for her to sit in while he wasn't there. “Yes, I enjoy reading. The world of the living has interesting books on various subjects.”

 

Orihime turned to him and he instinctively took a step back. “Where did you get them?”

 

“Come, I will show you to your new room,” he said, avoiding her question. He started walking toward the only other doorway in the room. It led to a white marble hallway with the same dull black marble flooring. He pointed at the door to his immediate left. “I know the human nature is curious. Do not attempt to open this door.”

 

“What is—”

 

“Do not attempt to open this door. I will know if you do,” he said. Behind the white door was a surveillance set up of the room she was in previously. It had been put in place so that he could watch her. He had seen her at all times. He would sometimes reverse the feeds to stare; to watch her over and over again. He was her captor, he needed to know her, to study her. He needed details to operate at an optimal and efficient level.

 

Moving down to the next door on the right this time, he said, “This is a bedroom, _your room_. You are free to roam the suite but if I am here, you will remain in this room. Do you understand? You were brought here because there are some Arrancars who wish to do you harm. Any disobedience and you will be returned to your former quarters. Those who wish you harm will be able to do so. Do you understand?”

 

“Oh, yes, I understand, Ulqui—”

 

“You are not to address me by my name.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

She sounded pitiful. He cursed. He was trying to show her kindness and he being curt with her.

 

“There is a door in this bedroom that goes to the bath. The last door at the end of the hall also connects to the bath,” he explained. “If you need anything there is a bell, ring it and an Arrancar will arrive to see to your needs. It will probably be the same one who delivers your meals.”

 

He turned and left the hallway. Ulquiorra was going to open the door to the suite but stopped short. “There is a balcony that is off of the bedroom, you may only go out on it while I am here. I will not tolerate you attempting to end your life while you are in my custody,” he said.

 

And then he was gone.

 

He strode through Los Noches' hallways with a purpose. He would see Lord Aizen again and inform him of the changes concerning the human. He would then ask Granz for any information concerning female Arrancars and female humans.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Lord Aizen had been pleased by Ulquiorra's decision and applauded his quick thinking on the matter. He bowed to the man and left. He didn't like the idea but he had to trek across Aizen's domed desert to reach the Octava Espada's Palace.

 

He was greeted by a short and obese Fraccion. “Tell your Master I wish an audience with him.”

 

The Fraccion mumbled and bowed then scurried away on short legs. Ulquiorra understood that Granz's Fraccion served as healing elements when in battle but no one had declared war on Hueco Mundo. Yet. Lord Aizen's main designs were that this substitute Soul Reaper would declare war, drawing the Soul Society's military force out and trapping them in Hueco Mundo.

 

The Hogyoku wasn't even at full power and it would take several months before it would be. Aizen kept using it during special times to create extraordinary, powerful Arrancars.

 

“Well, this is quite the surprise, the Fourth has come for a visit.”

 

His eyes snapped up to the man with pink hair and a subtly vulgar smile. Ulquiorra never liked Szayelaporro Granz. He reminded the Espada of a worm. He kept his face passive and calm though. Unlike the other Espadas and Arrancars, the fourth through the first rarely showed emotion, unless you counted that little girl that Starrk carted around and Barragan.

 

Aizen had explained the reason why there were two Primera Espadas. They were two halves to a whole. Starrk's spiritual pressure was so great that it would kill normal Adjuchas. Barragan, the former king of Hueco Mundo, only huffed and puffed at his demotion, exerting his authority and anger whenever possible. Tier Halibel, said nothing unless the situation warranted it. Ulquiorra only responded to facts; if he could not see it, it did not exist.

 

“I need information, Granz. Do you have any research on female Arrancars?” Ulquiorra stated.

 

A nasty smirk came across the lower ranked Espada's face. “Unfortunately, no. The only female Arrancar that I've come into contact with was thrown off the side of Los Noches. I do believe it was the former Third.”

 

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. He remembered the event of an Espada going missing decades ago. Tier Halibel had taken the title of Tres Espada.

 

“Of course, you could always ask the Tres or her Fraccion for information. Starrk's other half is female, as I understand. Perhaps, one of the Privaron Espada, Cirucci Sanderwicci could even be of assistance,” Szayelaporro practically purred.

 

The dark-haired Espada regarded the other one with caution. It was out of the question to approach the First or Third with this request. As a current Espada, he would never walk into Tres Cifras by his own volition. He turned and walked away from the Eighth's palace.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

He returned to his quarters after the long trek from the dome. Ulquiorra kept thinking that maybe he should show the woman the blue sky. He had read somewhere a long time ago that humans had internal clocks that that regulated sleep and mood. It told them day and night. To be happy or sad.

 

Time didn't matter in Hueco Mundo; Hollows and the like had no need for it.

 

Humans became obsessed with time. They became obsessed with vital organs. They became obsessed with feelings and emotions that Ulquiorra had no idea of the concept. He couldn't comprehend it.

 

He couldn't see it.

 

It didn't exist.

 

That is what he believed ever since he'd woken up in that black pit. His eyes were the only thing he could trust since he couldn't rely on his other senses.

 

Pushing the door open, he walked into the sitting room to see Orihime asleep in his chair. She had her knees tucked up to her chest with a book wedged between her legs and torso. Frowning, Ulquiorra's first thought was to wake her and demand that she return to the bedroom. She was clearly tired if she was falling asleep in armchairs.

 

With a slightly annoyed sigh, he walked into the hallway, turning the doorknob to the bedroom. He then moved back to the sitting room. He took the book from the girl's hands and carefully closed the cover. He shelved the volume where the was a gap was among the books. Ulquiorra had to brush away the annoyance from this task as he picked the human up in his arms, cradling her upper back and below her knees.

 

He wasn't sure what to do after he deposited her in the bed. He knew when he required sleep, he stripped naked.

 

He didn't know of the woman's sleeping routine. Whenever Ulquiorra watched the footage of her sleeping, he usually skipped past it. The female would toss and turn, sometimes crying out for someone to help her.  
  
Ulquiorra turned and was about to leave the room when her hand gently caught his own. He looked down with a scowl, intent of plucking her hand off of him when he heard her say, “Thank you Ulquiorra.”

 

The words were so soft that he almost had not heard her. Why would this woman be thanking him? Why would she express gratitude towards him?

  
  
No one except Aizen had ever thanked him. His scowl softened and he backed away from the human. Once he was far enough away, he pivoted and disappeared into the surveillance room. Ulquiorra would go through his personal library in a moment for the information on the human body.

 

He needed to sort out this strange sensation that was coursing through him. He felt threatened by it. It was a foreign agitator. Clenching his fist, Ulquiorra took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He watched the feed on the monitors of the empty room with its lonely couch, rug, solitary window, and table for one.

 

The equipment could be given back to Lord Aizen as he had no need for it now. The girl was now in his personal rooms, he had no reason to watch over her every second. He found himself switching to the surveillance orbs in his bedroom. His brow furrowed as he watched her scoot to the middle of the big bed.

 

Orihime grabbed the pillow he used and hugged it to her body, burrowing her face into the surface. What was she doing? With a disgusted scoff, he pushed away from the screens and stomped into the sitting room.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Ulquiorra closed the book in his lap. He had just read everything that he had available to him about humans and their bodies. They were very similar to Arrancars.

 

Since he was a Vasto Lorde from birth, his need to feed or sleep was minimal. After all, in his past, he had no mouth to open. As an Arrancar, he didn't need much sleep. It was mostly used as a way to heal from major wounds or to restore depleted Reiatsu. He did not eat much either. He mostly drank green tea and thin, hard wafers of dough the lesser Gillian-class Arrancar servants made.

 

This was enough sustenance for him.

 

Humans required more nutrients, sleep, and water to keep from dying. They required sunlight to produce certain vitamins.

 

He would take her out into the dome when she woke. They would stay away from the other Espadas' palaces. Would they seek her out? Would those who had doubts about her usefulness mount an attack against her?

 

They would be foolish to do so. She was his!

 

Ulquiorra's eyes went wide. What was this? He had felt the same thing when Lord Aizen told him he could give the girl over to other Espadas. He felt this alien jolt when he had thought about declining the task. His black fingernails tapped the book cover as he became mentally absent, lost in thought.

 

What about his own body? He was very human-like in appearance only. He had a glans and testicles. He had nipples even if Aizen had burned the number four over one of them. He had the muscles and bones and nerves. He felt pain even if he did not show it. Besides the enhanced abilities and the bone mask, he could be human. His mouth turned down in a frown. He had never felt what this anatomy publication deemed as desire or arousal.

 

Male humans had the same organs and appendages male Arrancars did. Ulquiorra had heard Nnoitora brag about what he would do to hollows that appeared female before he killed them. He had heard Grimmjow talk about sexual satisfaction in the heat of victory. He had even heard Szayelaporro talk about sex between Arrancars. He was certain _that_ Espada abused his Fraccion for his own pleasure.

 

He saw the images of the human female anatomy. He knew nothing about the female Arrancars. Szayelaporro had said he never had the chance to do research on a female Arrancar. He did not want to disturb Lord Aizen again about this matter but he knew he must.

 

If he was to conduct his own research then he had to ask his Lord for permission.

 

Once again, he found himself in the throne room. Aizen stared down at him. Ulquiorra felt uncomfortable with the man's gaze.

 

“Yes, Ulquiorra? I must say I've seen you more in the past day than I have all month,” the man said. “What can I do for you?”

 

Ulquiorra cleared his throat. “I am in need of a female Arrancar, my Lord. I was curious if there was one I could study that was not a former or current Espada.”

 

“You want a female Arrancar? Well, this is surprising. In all the years I've known you, Ulquiorra you've been alone,” Aizen intoned. “Now you want a Fraccion?”

 

“No, sir. I would ask the female questions and perform some research for the purpose of the order you've given me,” the Espada answered.

 

Aizen's fist came up to cradle his face. Ulquiorra had known him for long enough that this was when the man was contemplating a decision. It was a long moment before the former Soul Reaper spoke. “I will send an Arrancar to your quarters later.”

 

“Sir, if I may ask, would you send her to the human girl's former room?”

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

He was notified by a servant Arrancar hours later that there was a female waiting for him when Orihime's meal was brought. He tapped on the bedroom door and then walked to the sitting room. He heard the bedroom door open. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the redhead enter after him. She looked startled as she noticed he was still there.

 

“Are you more comfortable here?” Ulquiorra asked, before reaching for the anatomy book that he'd left on the cushion of his chair.

 

“Yes,” she murmured. “The bed is comfortable and the linens have a pleasant scent. Thank you for—”

 

“I will be gone for several hours in another part of the fourth tower. Eat.”

 

He left quickly before she could raise his ire with more gratitude. He stalked along the halls and stairwell until he reached the room several floors beneath his own. A familiar presence came under his Pesquisa.

 

Nnoitora Gilga.

 

What did the Fifth want?

 

“I know you are there; you might as well reveal yourself, Nnoitora,” Ulquiorra stated.

 

A dark chuckle reached his ears. “You're no fun,” the tall, lanky Espada said, stepping from behind a column. “I was wondering how your assimilation of the girl was _coming_.”

 

Ulquiorra had to maintain his calm exterior. The Fifth was a vulgar creature but the Fourth said nothing. He would betray nothing. He turned to the door where he had visited many times, intent on ignoring the lower ranked Espada.

 

“If you are not up to the job, I'd be glad to show her what punishment feels like,” Nnoitra commented.

 

He would not give into the baiting. He would remain passive. He opened the door and went inside the room, closing the door on the Fifth's laughter.

 

The female Arrancar.

 

No, she wasn't just an Arrancar.

 

She was a Numeros.

 

Ulquiorra took in the female's appearance. His nostrils flared as he realized what Lord Aizen had done. Was his Lord mocking him?

 

She was almost as pale as him. The female had slightly darker hair than the human, a deep burnt sepia color, styled in a bun on her head, with what looked to be two bone fragments that formed an X, sticking out of it. She had darker brown, almost black eyes. The Estigma on her face was thick red lines on her eyelids and a smaller curved line on her lower lip. She had the same dark red eyebrows and thick black lashes.

 

Her Arrancar jacket was styled more like a kimono with long flared sleeves and the front covered the base of her throat. Ulquiorra could see the nape of her neck and a small part of her upper back as she turned from him. The black sash was tied like an obi. He could see when she moved, the kimono parted and she wore a hakama, though the garment was tailored to her form. She had the traditional tabi and zori they all wore.

 

He noticed when she raised her hand that he could see more bone fragments around her individual fingers. They ranged from covering an entire segment, knuckle to knuckle down to a thin line of bone. They looked like rings.

 

“Who are you?” Ulquiorra asked, walking over to the small table and placing the book on the surface.

 

“Vaciar Esteril, Numeros sixty-six, Master Ulquiorra,” she quietly said.

 

He nodded, “Very well. You are a female?”

 

She tipped her head.

 

“Do you belong to an Espada? Are you a part of a Fraccion?” He queried.

 

“Negative.”

 

“Are you a servant in Los Noches?”

 

“Yes, I am part of those who serve in the kitchen for Lord Aizen.”

 

He studied the female's face carefully as she spoke. The expression in her eyes was almost dead-like. There was nothing there, no emotion. How did a Numeros become a kitchen servant? “Undress.”

 

She immediately complied, removing her uniform and then folding it neatly, placing each item on the arm of the couch. When she was naked, Ulquiorra walked around her. Her hollow hole was right where a human's heart would be. He could see her number on the inside of her right wrist. She had smaller breasts than the Third Espada. They were even smaller than Orihime's.

 

Arrancar females had nipples. He scowled as his hand reached out and touched the area of skin. The only indication that he had done so was the Numeros opening her mouth slightly. He then pinched the flesh, watching as she shrank away from his fingers.

 

“Is that enjoyable?”

 

“Gentle touches are more suitable,” she answered. “Humans are fragile.”

 

“I didn't ask about humans,” Ulquiorra stated.

 

“Sir, if the Espada and other Arrancars did not gossip, the walls of Los Noches would collapse,” she commented then spoke again. “I beg for your forgiveness.”

 

“What are you referring to?”

 

“The rumor is that you have the human in your personal rooms. That you are under Lord Aizen's order to fornicate with her,” she replied.

 

“Sit over there,” he said and waved to the couch. Ulquiorra did not appreciate rumors. He only dealt with the truth. He turned to the book and flipped it open to a page he had marked. That was the truth but he would not let anyone know this.

 

Over the next forty-five minutes, he examined between the Arrancar's legs. The Fourth came to a conclusion that female humans were the same as Arrancars in terms of body parts. He left the room and returned to his own suite, feeling irritated. He didn't even notice Orihime, who was sitting in his armchair.

 

He made his way to the bath and washed his hands, leaving the door open. The Numeros had excreted a fluid over his fingers that she said helped with intercourse. He told himself that he wasn't impressed with this. He couldn't help recall how the female sounded when he touched her.

 

Ulquiorra removed the jacket he wore, pulling the zipper down his chest. He threw that piece of his uniform to the floor. He shoved his tabi and zori off of his feet. His pale hands with their black nails pulled at the ties that held his hakama to his body. It fell into a puddle on the floor.

 

He did not remember that he had a guest. He knew nothing of modesty.

 

Looking in the large mirror over the sink, he noted his appearance. His eyes were half-lidded with some emotion he couldn't place. He could only say it made him experience slight anger and frustration. His lips, the black upper one and the white lower one, were slightly swollen. His eyes saw the skin right above the hollow hole pulse.

 

Why was his heart beating faster?

 

His hollow hole looked the same. He leaned toward the image of himself and traced the outside edge of the space. It was sensitive and touching the area made him shiver. He touched the four on his chest. His fingers trailed down his stomach, over the shallow indents of abdominal muscles.

 

Ulquiorra also found out that Arrancar had no body hair. He suspected it had something to do with their Hierro. He was absorbed in his exploration of his own body that he didn't notice that there was a spectator. It was the gasp that made his head snap up and turn to the left. He saw the human girl; her face was half visible, the other side hidden by the door frame.

 

Something in his brain switched on.

 

His eyes blazed with an intense fire now. He could feel heat moving down his spine. He moved with a primal intent towards her. He didn't care if he was naked. He had no intention of harming her. It was now a game of predator and prey.

 

She must have sensed she was in some type of danger because she ran and he heard the door to the bedroom slam.

 

**BANG.**

 

That sound broke the hold that was held over him. He came back to his senses. He shook his head and blinked several times.

 

What had happened? What had he done?

 

*** * * * * * * * ***

**Orihime I**

 

Her chest heaved as she sat up on the bed. Orihime looked around the darkened room and didn't see anything that screamed of danger. She was alright. She was okay. She was safe in the bedroom of the Fourth Espada's quarters.

 

It had been a nightmare. Something dark and foreboding had been chasing her across a white floor. It had almost caught up with her that time.

 

She had been having the dream ever since _that_ day. Orihime hadn't meant to spy on his but the way he acted had been concerning. The way he yanked his clothes off and then touched himself. When his hand reached his groin, she had just made the smallest noise and he had chased after her.

 

Feeling like a prisoner in this area more than she did in that solitary room, Orihime had to constantly be alert in case he came storming through the door. Once she saw him, she would scurry off to the bedroom to avoid him. The bedroom was big, bigger than the first room she was kept in. The bed was comfortable. It was soft and enveloped her whenever she laid down. There were many days where her captor would knock on the door and she did not want to wake up.

 

The pillows were fluffy and never seem to flatten. They smelled of bergamot, mint and a hint of lemons. It was a strange combination but intoxicating to her senses. Lately, the smell wasn't that strong. If she walked past Ulquiorra, she smelled the same thing. She had to wonder if that was how the Espada smelled or it was something the housekeeping Arrancars washed things in.

 

There was a closet in the room which was filled with the same uniform that Ulquiorra wore all the time. A small chest of drawers held pairs of black tabis. There was the bell attached to a cord that ran somewhere inside the wall. A mirror stood against one wall.

 

There were doors to the bath and the balcony. The view from those glass doors was overwhelming. They up were much higher than she had expected. She could see miles in the distance from it. The bath had a sink with a long counter and gigantic mirror over it. There was a shower enclosed in glass with several different sprays of water. The bathing tub was more like a small shallow pool.

 

Orihime had used the bell just once, asking the servant who appeared at the door for body soap suited for a female, shampoo, and if they had any, conditioner. She also asked for a new change of clothing. They brought back soaps that smelled like vanilla and roses.

 

She knew in her heart that her friends would be coming for her soon. She had to cling to that hope. As the days and nights passed, that hope was pushed to the side. An entire month went by and no one showed up to get her. She hadn't seen a blue sky or the sunshine for an entire thirty days.

 

She had seen no one but the servant Arrancars or Ulquiorra that entire time.

 

She listened carefully for any signs he was in the suite. She heard none. Easing out of the bed, Orihime put her own jacket back on and her zori. She shuffled over to the door and eased it open. The atmosphere was still silent.

 

Walking out of the room and into the short hallway, Orihime moved into the sitting room to see Ulquiorra in his armchair. She immediately froze. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell deeply.

 

Was he asleep?

 

Biting her lip she carefully tiptoed over to the chair. Orihime studied his features. He was a beautiful creature. She brought her hand out but hesitated. She wanted to touch him. Could she have the courage to touch him; to satisfy a curiosity that had been burning in her since she was put into that other room. Finally, she swallowed her fear and let her fingers slip through his hair.

 

It was incredibly silky and smooth, blacker than ink. She froze again as he shifted in the seat. What about the half bone helmet? What did that feel like? Her other hand raised up and she gently grasped the tip of the slightly curved protrusion. It was hard like bone. Using a delicate touch, she ran her fingers over the extension from the base of the bone helmet to the tip.

 

He shivered.

 

Her mouth opened in shock. Could he feel—Did the fragment have nerves? Could he sense her touch? She glanced down at his face to make sure he was still sleeping. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and slow. Her hand slowly slide down the ridges of the half-helm.

 

What did his skin feel like? She knew what others told her that the Arrancars had very tough skin. It was almost virtually impossible to injure or cut them because of this enhanced durability. Would his skin be hard like a shell?

 

She only hesitated for a second before she reached for his cheek. Her plan had been to just touch the skin for a brief second. Her interest would be fulfilled and then she would leave the room. She would never bother him again.

 

Her eyes widened in horror as his pale hand shot up and grabbed her by the wrist. A scream was building in her throat but she bit it back as his eyes opened and flicked to her face. Her mouth trembled slightly but she had to face her fears. She didn't think the Espada would harm her.

 

“What are you doing?” he asked in a calm voice.

 

“You sleep,” she said.

 

“Yes, all creatures require sleep,” he answered. “Although you view us as the villains, we still sleep, breathe, and eat.”

 

It seemed like he wanted to say something else but he just shook his head. Orihime furrowed her brows. “Why don't you sleep in a bed? Why are you out here, asleep?”

 

“Did you want _me_ to crawl into _my_ bed and lie beside _you_?” Her mouth opened with a gasp. Her eyes searched his face for something that suggested he was lying. His eyes remained on her face, calm as ever. “Any more questions?”

 

She wanted to ask so many questions but she couldn't find her voice. She couldn't find the words inside her. So she closed her eyes and shook her head. The pressure around her wrist released and Orihime peeked to see he had let her go.

 

She automatically stepped back only for him to stand. Another step back, another step toward her. This abrupt dance happened until she felt the wall on her back. The floor seemed very interesting at that moment.

 

Orihime tried to remain calm as his hand came into view. He was going to touch her. He was going to touch her face. He was touching her. Her breath wanted to rush out of her lungs but she kept breathing normally. She had to or else it felt like she was going to pass out.

 

He was tilting her chin up. His skin felt like normal skin. The only difference that she felt was that it was slightly cool to the touch, instead of being warm. She stared at his mouth with the two different colored lips. Her breath caught in her throat as butterflies filled her stomach with their fluttering.

 

“Would you like to take a walk?”

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

She felt like such an idiot.

 

Did she really think Ulquiorra Cifer, an Espada; an Arrancar; a Hollow, was going to kiss her?

 

After he had asked the question, she had let out a sigh. A fleeting look of confusion crossed his face. She looked away from him and nodded. They set out on their walk after Ulquiorra told her to stick close by him. She was not to talk to anyone besides him.

 

He had to remind her that there were still those in Los Noches who would harm her. As if she had forgotten that fact. They seemed to walk for a long time going down hallways and stairs until he guided her through a closed door. The light blinded her and she had to shield her eyes.

 

Once her eyes adjusted, she stared in wonder at the space above her for the longest time. She could feel tears coming from her eyes as she gazed at the blue sky. She quickly closed them, feeling them stream down her face. The sunlight was still blinding.

 

Sunlight and it was warm on her skin.

 

“Are you harmed?”

 

“No,” she replied.

 

“Why do you weep?”

 

Orihime dropped her head and looked at the Espada. Was he actually curious or was he just wondering about the well being of his captive? She studied him just as he was studying her. His hand came up to her face suddenly, wiping away a tear. She flinched at the touch.

 

“My friends will come for me,” she murmured.

 

“This again,” he asked. She saw his passive expression harden into something else. She felt apprehension slide down her spine.

 

“Yes, this again. My friends will come for me,” she said, her tone slightly defiant.

 

Orihime wanted to believe with all of her heart that her friends were coming to get her. That Ichigo Kurosaki would be her knight in shining armor. He would whisk her away from these evil people who kept her in rooms of night and withheld the sunlight from her.

 

Ulquiorra's eyebrows raised a little, “I see. What would you say if I told you that your substitute Soul Reaper was detained by the Soul Society? That the head captain had him arrested? That Kisuke Urahara denied three of your friends entrance to Hueco Mundo? What would you say then, Orihime Inoue?”

 

The anger burned quickly through her and her hand shot out, slapping him across the face. His head actually turned with the force. He looked surprised as he returned his gaze to her face.

 

She was crying again because of his hurtful words. She was crying because he could have been right. She was crying because she was livid at the idea.

 

“Are you ready to return to your room?”

 

“No. I want to stay out here.”

 

“You will have more opportunities to return to this place.”

 

Orihime shook her head. “Why did you bring me outside? Where is this?”

 

She felt his stare burn into her. “This is essentially the roof of Los Noches. The dome overhead lets Lord Aizen see everything that is going on inside the palace. Beyond the dome is Hueco Mundo. We must return. I have urgent business to attend to.”

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

He had locked her back into his rooms again. She screamed at the top of her lungs but no one came to help her. She slumped to the floor of the sitting room, crying again. What if no one was going to come for her? What if his words had been true?

 

Orihime did not know how long she sat on the floor, letting tears fall from her eyes. It felt like hours. Ulquiorra still had not returned. Eventually, she dragged herself into the bedroom, shedding the Arrancar uniform and crawling into the bed— _his_ bed naked. She would leave the uniform on the floor, not caring if she was punished for the infraction.

 

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was staring at a furious, green-eyed Espada. The anger on his face made her sit up and scramble towards the other side of the spacious bed. His sudden appearance made her forgot she had no clothes on. “What are you doing in here?”

 

“Why are _you_ unclothed?”

 

“Why are _you_ in here?” she repeated, grabbing the sheet and pulling it up to her neck.

 

“I should march you back down to that room for your insolence!”

 

“Go ahead!” Orihime shouted.

 

She saw different emotions flit across his face. This was another occasion that he had shown he was capable of feeling something other than contempt and distaste for her. Orihime would have given anything to know what he was thinking at the moment.

 

In the next instant, he was at her side pulling her off the bed and to her feet by her arm. He dragged her to the balcony door, opening it by placing the palm of his hand on the surface. She panicked because she did not want to walk out onto that balcony. She did not want to go out there with him.

 

He forced her out the door and flung her to the stone floor of the balcony. She landed on the cold surface and hissed as it touched her body.

 

“You don't seem to realize something, woman. Arrancars that appear mostly human, are often Vasto Lorde class Hollows. I told you earlier that I have to sleep. I have to take in nutrients like a human. I have never had the need for souls. I have the same anatomy of a human.”

 

Orihime looked up at him with wide eyes. She didn't understand what he was saying or why he would be telling her this information. He took a step toward her, she scrambled back. He was looking at her strangely.

 

“I have the same needs as a human,” he stated. She watched open his mouth and then shut it. He seemed to be contemplating on how to hurt her with his voice. “Unless you would like to become the Fifth Espada's whore, you will leave your uniform on.”

 

She glanced at him. Was he threatening her? She slowly got to her feet, not caring if she was nude or not. She would not tolerate his threats. Taking angry steps towards him, she planned to hit him again. He was quicker.

 

As soon as she swung her arm, she found herself turned around looking out at Hueco Mundo. His chest was pressed to her back with her arm twisted behind her and wedged between their bodies. His other hand was around her throat. She could hear his breath in her ear. His thumb caressed her collarbone. The touch sent chills through her body.

 

“I experience desire. Do not tempt me.”

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

After the altercation, she felt his spiritual pressure disappear. It didn't return for a week.

 

*** * * * * * * * ***

**Ulquiorra II**

 

He had been summoned by Lord Aizen. He could hear her screaming through the doors to his rooms. He almost did not go. He almost turned back.  
  
He couldn't.

 

Ulquiorra was loyal to Lord Aizen.

 

He arrived and entered the throne room. Aizen gave him his orders. Go to Karakura, scout the town, then report back.

 

Bowing to the man on the throne, he took his leave, planning on informing Orihime of his absence. He walked slowly as he thought about what happened under the dome. He had been curious as to why she cried. She had never responded to the question. He could still feel the tear he wiped from her face. His fingers had rubbed the substance into his skin until it was gone.

 

The slap was nothing but a tap to him. He had been shocked that the human was able to take him by surprise. He was not going to lie to her and tell her that he was positive her friends were coming. He wasn't there to comfort her in any way. He had no emotions for that. He had no compassion for others.

 

Once, he arrived at his quarters, he entered the sitting room. She must have retired to the bedroom. He took a deep breath and walked toward where she was. When he entered the room, his common sense and logic escaped him. Her jacket, the bodice, the split skirt, the hakama, the tabi, the zori; all of it had been discarded on the floor.

 

Did she think that she could just shed her identity of being sympathetic to the Arrancars just because she removed the uniform? That stain would forever be ingrained in people's minds. Orihime Inoue; the girl who went to Hueco Mundo; viewed as a traitor.

 

His green eyes swept over the room and he saw her. Lying in the middle of the massive bed on her back with her breasts on display. He remembered the encounter with the female Arrancar whose name he couldn't remember. She'd been a servant, he was certain of that.

 

This human had nipples. They were pink. They were pleasing to look at. He felt desire coursing through him. All he had to do was crawl in beside her.

 

No! The word jolted through him. This was logic speaking to him.

 

No, he would not take like the Fifth did. He would bide his time. If he took her without the build-up of trust, she would still hope for her friends to arrive. Without that hope, she would be more pliant.

 

Desire won the internal struggle. He exerted enough spiritual pressure to wake her. He had scared her. He left her on the balcony. He left Los Noches. He disappeared from Hueco Mundo.

 

He arrived at his destination, masking his presence. He took his time with gathering information. After a week passed, he had all the information he would need for Lord Aizen's plan.

 

The substitute Soul Reaper was still being detained. The exiled Soul Reaper and shopkeeper was working on some kind of order from the main governing body of the Soul Society. The others with spiritual pressure were mopey teenagers that lamented Orihime and the orange haired boy's absence. He found himself in Orihime's dwelling, touching various objects and wondering about the human and her reaction to his touch.

 

She had to have known he would never allow her to strike him again. He had done the simplest thing he could think of doing. He disarmed her but desire still ruled his brain at that moment. She was soft and warm against his body. It made him angrier.

 

He stopped in front of a wall that was covered in various photographs of a boy and a girl. The boy stayed the same in most of the pictures. The girl grew up. His eyes roamed over the images. He was bewildered when the scene of the pictures changed suddenly. Instead of two humans, there was just one, the girl.

 

In every picture after the male's absence, she wore those hairpins. His fingers plucked a photograph from the wall that showed Orihime and the male. Perhaps, he would take this to her as an apology.

 

Perhaps, he would take her things that reminded her of her former home.

 

He returned to Hueco Mundo with a bag of the woman's belongings. He felt relieved once he was inside of Los Noches. He felt her spiritual pressure. Ulquiorra stopped.

 

What was he thinking? The girl was supposed to be forgetting about the World of the Living. Why would he bring back stuff that would remind her of it?

 

Guilt. Remorse. Regret. Repentance. He wanted her forgiveness.

 

Moving swiftly to his quarters, he opened the double doors ready to put the bag into the room she never saw. He couldn't give her these items. He halted his steps once inside but only for an instant. He had to get rid of this evidence of weakness as soon as possible.

 

She was sitting in his armchair. She did not have her full Arrancar uniform on. The jacket was draped over one of the chairs at the table. He clenched his jaw. He told her to stay clothed at all times.

 

He used Sonido to place himself from the entrance doors of his quarters to the surveillance room. It was faster than a blink of an eye. Ulquiorra hadn't even given her time to react to his arrival. Once inside the room, he stuffed the bag into a cabinet.

 

A burning sensation went through his left pectoral area. Aizen was calling him. He knew he should have reported to the throne room immediately but he didn't want to be caught with the items. He used Sonido again, this time to exit his rooms.

 

He gave his report to Lord Aizen. The situation remained the same.

 

“Oh and Ulquiorra?”

 

“Yes, my lord?”

 

“I know you are not one to rush or hurry things but I must ask you to speed along the process concerning Orihime Inoue. You have one month to complete the task, then I will hand it off to someone with more effective means.”

 

He had to fight to keep control of his face. Ulquiorra bowed then exited the room. He walked slowly through Los Noches, meandering through the halls. He wanted to give the appearance he was calm and collected.

 

One month.

 

If he was going to get Orihime to trust him he was going to have to go against his true nature. He was going to have to become more human-like with his emotions.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

He knocked on the bedroom door. “Your meal has arrived,” he said.

 

Ulquiorra had requested that two meals be brought up to his room. He planned on explaining the situation to the human while they ate.

 

“I'm not hungry.” She was just being difficult now.

 

Twisting the doorknob with his hand, he entered the bedroom. She was standing by the balcony door, looking out at the white desert. She was still not wearing her full uniform. The jacket now lay on the bed. The split skirt nowhere in sight.

 

He could hear her crying.

 

“Are you harmed?”

 

Her redhead shook back and forth.

 

“Why do you weep?”

 

Her shoulders shook at this question. “The other Espadas. I thought you'd left me.”

 

“Did they hurt you?”

 

“No, no. No, they; it was just one. The tall, really skinny one. He would say things when I opened the door for the servant Arrancar.”

 

Nnoitora Gilga. The lower ranked Espada had sought her out. He had taunted her. Ulquiorra cautiously moved towards the human female. “I apologize for my absence. I had a task from Lord Aizen to see to,” he stated.

 

Orihime turned her head and looked at him. He could see she was exhausted. “Tomorrow, we will go to the dome. You appear wilted.”

 

She let out a sob and pressed her face to his chest. He could feel her hands form fists and he grabbed her wrists before she could hit him. His arms slowly encircled her body. Why did he feel possessive of her? Ever since he laid his eyes on her, he had this tingling curiosity about her. He kept contradicting himself for her. He had defied Aizen's orders for her.

 

Why had she done this to him? Would he give her to another Espada? Would he be able to tell Lord Aizen he could not go through with it? Absently, he stroked her back as she cried and he thought about the answers. This woman had sparked something inside of him that he could not explain; that he could not fathom.

 

All of his life, he had felt nothing.

 

He had nothing.

 

He was nothing.

 

He saw everything.

 

He felt her hands on his neck, she was pulling down the zipper of his jacket. What was she doing? He had told her not to tempt him. Ulquiorra gazed down at her.

 

He could see loneliness in her features. He could see she was experiencing the beginning of despair. His head dipped down, brushing his lips against hers. The touch was an ignition to a fire for both of them. It was a catalyst for the destruction that was to come in the future.

 

They both hurried to shed their clothing; leaving the pieces scattered over the floor. He was on top of her on the bed. He had done his own research while in the World of the Living. Ulquiorra watched couples. He saw the images on screens showcasing romance. He read fictional novels, telling stories of love. It all began with kissing and touching.

 

He gently kissed her face and neck. When he pulled back to gaze at her, she blushed deeply and turned her head away from him.

 

“Please, don't look,” she murmured.

 

“Why?”

 

“It's not polite.”

 

He didn't look. He used his mouth to explore her, using his lips to map her body. He used his fingers as guides to seek out those spots he knew would cause her to gasp. He listened to her cries once he was inside her.

 

No amount of research or reading could have prepared him for the sensation; the heat; the silk; the wetness. His arms pushed her legs toward her chest. He needed her. He wanted her. No one else would have her.

 

Afterwards, he lay beside the human, facing Orihime. He could not lie on his back or the other side because of his bone fragment. It hurt when he put pressure on it. He had felt her touch that night. The delicate way she touched the extension had been sensual.

 

He saw her hand reach up again. He shifted away from her. “What are you doing?”

 

“I'm curious.”

 

“Humans will always be curious. It will be the source of your kind's demise.”

 

“Curiosity killed the cat,” she said. He let her touch the bone helmet. She outlined every ridge with her finger. She gently grasped the horn, stroking the hard piece from the base of the helmet to the tip.

 

He shuddered every time she did it. He could feel the eagerness in his groin again.

 

When Aizen called for him several days later, Ulquiorra had fulfilled his duty of fornicating with the human. He had performed the task so many times and in so many places in his quarters.

 

The bathing tub where water would slosh onto the floor. The shower where her arms and legs wrapped around him. The counter of the sink where he saw himself performing the act. The bed where the first time happened. The dresser where she bent over the wood surface. The balcony where he would take her on her back or on all fours. The table at a meal time where he swept the dishes to the floor. The armchair where she sat on top of him.

 

The walls.

 

The floor.

 

The entire chamber echoed with her voice.

 

She was sleeping at the moment. He felt comfortable leaving her at the moment. Lord Aizen wanted to know of his progress with the human. Ulquiorra knew he could not lie. He crushed his eye and showed Aizen. His face remained passive as the man watched the scenes in front of him.

 

“We have several months before the Hogyoku fully awakens. Enjoy your time, my dear Espada,” Aizen said with a smirk.

 

*** * * * * * * * ***

**Two Months Later**

 

Orihime collapsed onto the cool floor of the bathroom. She had been sick for the past three weeks. The Espada hovered over her every time she rushed to the bathroom.

 

Ever since that day he left, Ulquiorra had been in her mind. She endured the taunts and vulgar descriptions that the Fifth Espada threw at her. She broke down after several days of him being gone. The loneliness was even more oppressive with him not there in the tower. It smothered her. She wasn't sleeping very well. She didn't have an appetite.

 

When she felt his spiritual pressure return, she could have wept in relief. She didn't however; he hadn't allowed her to register his return. He was there and then gone. He had come back though. She didn't need to be so on edge.

 

Things had been taken too far.

 

The past nine weeks had been lovely beside being constantly sick. She had someone she could talk to. She had someone to love and she was pretty sure he loved her back. Or felt something close to it anyway. He cared for her, she knew that much.

 

There would be treats at meal times. He took her for walks to the dome almost every day. On the days he was absent due to Aizen's demands, she read. She felt like a princess.

 

A princess trapped in a tall tower.

 

Orihime began to think that she didn't need to be rescued. She didn't need to depend on Ichigo and her ideas of five lifetimes. She had this one lifetime with Ulquiorra that was enough for her.

 

One man's full attention was better than trying to catch the attention of a preoccupied boy.

 

_Man?_

 

Ulquiorra never let her forget he was not human. While he may have looked like a man and acted like a man with the same needs and desires, he was still very much a Hollow. He was an Arrancar. He was an Espada. When the time came and Aizen called them for battle, he would fight until the enemies or himself were dead.

 

She closed her eyes with that thought. That's how he found her when he returned from whatever task the traitorous Soul Reaper had sent him on.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Orihime was tired.

 

She was tired of everything.

 

No!

 

She wasn't tired. She was exhausted. The sickness evolved into something else. The Fourth had spoken to the Eighth. He informed Orihime of the news. There was nothing that Granz had that would help her. There was no medicine she could take.

 

The Eighth offered to do a medical examination on the human but Ulquiorra told her that he had refused the offer. She would watch him read through countless of science or medical related books. She would drift off to sleep while he did this.

 

One day, she woke up and he was staring with an open mouth at a book. “Ulquiorra?”

 

His head snapped up and he gazed at her with such intensity, it startled her and took her breath for a moment. She watched him rise from the end of the bed and walk out of the room. He didn't say where he was going. He gave her no indication that he would be back. She heard the telltale signs of his Sonido.

 

She stayed awake until he came back. He looked troubled further. “You need to wear proper attire. We are going to the Octava's palace.”

 

 

*** * * * * * * * ***

**Ulquiorra III**

 

When the test came back that he had viable semen, he had been shocked. How could a dead being like him, have living cells inside him.

 

Ulquiorra had lived his human life. He died with regrets. He was born again in Hueco Mundo as a winged creature. He had his mask broken. Aizen transformed him. He was an Arrancar; one of the top five ranking Espada! He was certain if he showed Aizen his secret, he would certainly upset the order but he did not want that responsibility. He was content with being the Fourth.

 

He had not even thought it was possible. Hollows and humans could not mix. The book told him it was pregnancy. Szayelaporro was telling him that he could.

 

Hollows could not! Yet, the proof was in front of him, unless there was something else that he hadn't accounted for. He brought her to the Eighth's palace. The exam was done. The Espada could not believe his eyes. The image on the screen that he looked at, there was a faint outline of a fetus.

 

 _No_.

 

His chest burned. Aizen could not be calling them now. He returned Orihime to his quarters and then attended the meeting the man had called. The time had come. The substitute and his friends had arrived. They were to wait until the group engaged them. They were forbidden to cause trouble. They had to wait for the captains to arrive before the fighting could start.

 

Aizen asked him to stay behind.

 

“I hear congratulations are in order. Szayelaporro informed me of the news,” Aizen said from his seat at the head of the table. “I must say I did not think to breed Hollows and humans together. I didn't think that there would be a success with it. I understand Orihime is sick though.”

 

“I only did as you asked, Lord Aizen,” he said in a flat tone.

 

“I'll be entering the World of the Living soon. You are to stay here and defend Los Noches. Let the substitute take the girl. It's what he came here for,” Aizen smiled broadly.

 

He was dismissed. He went back to her.

 

What had Aizen done?

 

How could the former Soul Reaper tell him to defend the castle but let that boy take her away from him especially now?

 

Ulquiorra became angry. He stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching her. She had her hand on her lower abdomen, where her shape was slightly rounder, rubbing the area. “Your knight in shining armor has arrived,” he stated to Orihime as soon as he saw her.

 

Her brow furrowed in confusion then she smiled. “You're always my knight in shining armor,” she said fondly.

 

“No. Ichigo Kurosaki is in Hueco Mundo. Your friends have come for you.”

 

He watched her face fall. He watched the realization come over her features. He saw the horror fill her eyes. Had she forgotten her friends? Had she forgotten her former life?

 

How was she going to explain her state once she was rescued?

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

The wait was killing him. He itched to take on the Soul Reapers. He remained where he was until Orihime started crying. A week had passed since the invading group had entered Hueco Mundo. Aizen wasn't worried but told all the Espada to not underestimate them. Then the invaders and the Espada started dying.

 

Every time one of her friends fell, she would weep. This stress would not be good for her. He decided to do something. If none of them were alive then there would be nothing for her to get upset over.

 

He goaded. He baited. He killed.

 

That fool Grimmjow interfered. Ulquiorra was stuck in that damn Caja Negacion. He had to crack the box using his spiritual pressure and eventually, he emerged by piercing a hole with his arm. The barrier cracked and he stepped through.

 

The first thing he saw was Orihime. She had on her uniform. She had a hand on her belly. He could see it now. He could take her away from this. They could find somewhere in Hueco Mundo to hide until this was all over. He would not allow the boy to take what was his; that woman was his along with the child she now carried.

 

 _Mine_.

 

He had no issues killing the boy a second time after releasing his Ressureccion. Ulquiorra could see she was scared of him now. He was a monster to her. He could see it in her eyes even when he called all of his power back and sheathed Murcielago. He always reminded her that he was a Hollow. He could not help if she thought of him as a man.

 

*** * * * * * * * ***

 

**Epilogue: Nine Months Later**

 

When the Cero Espada went into his release form and battled the captains, most of the Los Noches was obliterated. The only part of Aizen's palace that had not been destroyed in the battle was some of the outer towers. He had taken her to one. They would be safe there. They lived on the top floor of the tower. Its windows faced the white desert.

 

Aizen was gone. The Espada were gone, most of the Arrancar were wiped out. The one he had met that day months ago, had survived the chaos. She had gathered the rest of the lower Arrancars and they made the intact tower their new home. The ones they gathered would bow to him and call him Master.

 

He made it very clear he was just an Arrancar, like them. He had to work hard to show Orihime he was not a monster who had killed her friend. If they fought about something, she still threw it into his face.

 

She had given birth to a female infant with the help of the former Numeros. It had black hair and eyes that would change between green and brown depending on the light and her mood. Orihime called the color hazel. He felt more emotions that he could not peg down and describe when he saw the child.

 

Orihime asked him what he thought she should be named.  


“Luz de la Luna.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“Light of the Moon, in Spanish.”

 

“You want to name your daughter, Moonlight?”

 

“No, Light of the Moon.”

 

Orihime had shaken her head and sighed. “Luna Cifer,” she mumbled stroking the baby's head.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I could NOT have Ulquiorra asking Lilynette (hey, kid), Tier (Could you remove your bone fragments, I want to see your tits.) or her Fraccion (lesbian threesome!), Nel (Hey kid!), Loly (whore), or Menoly (pushover) to explain to him about female Arrancars. 
> 
> So I made one up. Vaciar Esteril, Numeros 66. Her name literally means void nothing. She looks like a geisha. Why the 66? If you're a Star Wars fan you'll recognize it. "Execute Order 66." was the order the Emperor gave to eliminate all Jedis. I'm evil. :)
> 
> You could also make the argument that well Arrancars don't have sexual organs. Szayelaporro's Hollow hole is literally on the head of his dick. Starrk has balls per the backstory book on Espadas. It's funny how my favorite word is fuck and there's an Espada whose command is Fornicarás and I picked the fucking bat to fall in love with. :| Though I think in the anime and the English version of the manga they change it to something like La Luluriosa or something. 
> 
> Makes me think of the drag queen Arrancar.
> 
> Szayel CREEPS ME OUT! As I delve deeper into anime in general, I'm noticing these people are voreaphiles. Vore creeps me the hell out. WHY? WHY? WHY? I'm currently watching Parasyte: The Maxim and dude. :| 
> 
> The kid was named after one of his own moves. XD


End file.
